Saturday, November 21, 2015

The Lower Hudson Journal News reports that on Friday a class action lawsuit was filed in a New York federal district court by parents of students who attend various Orthodox Jewish schools in the East Ramapo school district and by former students of the schools claiming that the schools deny male students adequate secular coursework. According to the report:

The claim contends that four Hasidic yeshivas in Monsey, Spring Valley and New Square do not teach English, "basic literacy, calculating, and verbal skills necessary to enable children to eventually function productively as civil participants."

The lawsuit also alleges that defendants have broken the law by:

Failing to hire or train teachers and staff "capable" of teaching secular studies.

Discriminating against boys by providing girls with more robust secular studies.

Failing to oversee or control yeshivas' use of tax money for their designated secular education purposes.

Failing to properly equip students with English and other skills necessary to obtain employment, creating generations of people who are dependent on government assistance.

The suit asks the court to order and enforce a requirement of 3 hours per day of secular studies with competent teachers, and asks for remedial courses for prior graduates of the schools.

UPDATE: Here is the full text of the complaint in Doe v. State of New York, (SD NY, filed 11/20/2015). [Thanks to Friendly Atheist for the link to the complaint.]